Sunday, July 15, 2012

Stephen Harper and the Angry Canadians

OMG. Fan me with a chicken feather. I can understand why Stephen Harper must be wondering why he's laying one egg after the other.

His polls are tanking, his credibility is shot, his corrupt regime is imploding, and his dirty oil pipeline is now just a pipedream.

But after everything Harper has done to this country and its values, why does a journalist like Dan Gardner still not understand why so many Canadians hate him?I believe I have established that I am not Stephen Harper’s biggest fan, except perhaps in the Kathy-Bates-with-a-sledgehammer sense.
But still I am amazed at how many people despise Stephen Harper so much that they would endorse a mass songbird slaughter if the prime minister were photographed smiling at a chickadee.

For starters, isn't "chickadee" what Harper calls John Baird? And secondly, doesn't Gardner understand that praising Calgary so extravagantly, after trying to reconfigure the country to serve its Big Oil interests, might rub some Canadians the wrong way?

How are they supposed to feel about a guy who is allowing the Dutch Disease to kill good jobs all over the country? How are they supposed to feel about a Prime Minister who is selling us out to foreign interests?

In the last few years direct ownership of Alberta oil sands by Chinese state-owned oil companies has gone from nearly nothing to over $12 billion. Chinese money is already invested in the Enbridge pipeline and tanker scheme, Petro-China wants to build the pipeline, and Suncor is talking about using lowerwaged Chinese temporary workers–just in time to drive down wages and environmental standards.

How are they supposed to feel about the leader of a regime like this one?

If Canada feels different, it’s because it is. Under Harper, we have become strangers to ourselves, a foreign country run by an angry and hostile regime. The world has noticed, but is too preoccupied with its own problems to do anything more than fret.

Harper and his robo-ministers — especially Peter Kent in environment and Joe Oliver in natural resources — have been blunt: They will brook no opposition in their zeal to exploit the oilsands, build pipelines and empower the new robber barons.

And is this hatred irrational? Or is it the sometimes inarticulate, but totally understandable rage of a people who feel their country is being stolen, but are powerless to do anything about it? And isn't Stephen Harper just reaping what he hath sown?

For who created the angry Canada we now live in? This living nightmare called Harperland. Who went after his opponents like a savage beast? Who would turn this country into a jungle?

You know, I don't think that blind hatred is healthy. I prefer to see it channeled into political action aimed at eventually defeating this foul regime.

But until that happy day arrives, to resist is to exist. And if you love Canada.

24 comments:

hi Mogs...it would indeed. But did you see he story about how Mulcair won the fashion prize for the best dressed politician at the Stampede? Harpo must be sulking, or whipping his fashion consultant. That must REALLY hurt... ;)

hi Brian...well the problem is you're up against a giant propaganda machine. It focus groups everything, leaves nothing to chance, lies or twists the truth, and has a lot of money to get its message across. Hopefully though some of the Teflon is starting wear off, and by the time the next election arrives, convincing your family will be a lot easier... :)

While harper's slavish service to the oil sector and its attendant ecological impact are to be criticized, I must confess that my hatred of the man stems from his blatant contempt for our parliamentary traditions. Centuries of difficult work to build a semblance of democracy out of an elitist constitution, and harper throws it all down the toilet because Karl Rove showed him how easy it is.

hi thwap...you know it's a difficult choice. His contempt for parliament,the way he muzzles his opponents, the way he is sabotaging the battle against global warming, the way he lies about everything, there are so many reasons to despise him. But guess for me the reason I dislike Stephen Harper so much is because he's such a bully. I simply can't stand them, and he's the biggest and the baddest one I have ever seen...

How can any sane, decent person with ethics and morals, support a monster such as Harper? How can Harper's ministers, bow to his control of them? Them not permitted to say or do anything, they have to go through Harper first.

Over 2/3 and counting Canadians, believe Harper cheated to win the election. Harper is going to use, his usual dirty tactics, dirty politics, to quash the robo-call cheat investigation. He installing one of his own boys, into Elections Canada. Yves Corte.

Harper is also trying to stop, the ridings in dispute over election results. Harper is installing two new Conservative judges. That's why the decision has been delayed. Harper's new judge takes the position in August. What are the odds, one of Harper's new judges, will hear the appeals?

Harper steals billions of our tax dollars, to give to the wealthiest corporations in the world. He also gives them, huge tax reductions. Harper permits his ministers, to raid our tax dollars at their will.

Harper started out with a, $13 billion dollar surplus. He has run Canada into the most horrendous debt, in the recorded history of this country. He is also the most evil and corrupt P.M. ever known in Canada.

hi CanNurse...well I think we all need stress relief, I find living in Harperland bad for my blood pressure,and even worse for my mental state.;)But I was surprised at Gardner, because he's a decent journalist, and should have a better take on why so many people are so angry. It's definitely a phenomenom. Even I am surprised at how strongly people feel about the man. But at least I'm not surprised. And yes, we all agree on one thing: Steve just leave please !! :)

This is an excellent commentary, and I agree that Gardner's piece was odd and seemingly out of touch. Yes we're offended, every move the PM makes seems to involve finding new ways to raise up Alberta at the expense of, well, everything else. He's created this divide (AB vs ROC) and continues to perpetuate it. The worst PM in Canadian history... manufacturing crises in every area quite deliberately to allow his business cronies to profit; bringing US-style attack ads to Canada; eviscerating anyone who could threaten his evangelical right-wing ideological vision for our country.... He doesn't realize that it is OUR country, not his - he's got no mandate to govern with a stolen election, and even with the tricks, crimes and foreign money still only 39% voted for him! Forget climate change, Stephen Harper is the biggest threat to our environment! What kind of damage will he do by 2015? We need to demand a new election and hold him accountable for his crimes!

hi PMNews...thanks I'm glad you liked it. I was surprised that Gardner in my opinion missed the forest for the trees. Maybe it's because living in Ottawa is a bit like living in a bubble, and politics is more like a game, so he doesn't have a good idea of how strong anti-Harper feeling is out there. He isn't the only one. But as I said to the others, I'm encouraged at the way things are going. The Con regime is looking more corrupt and incompetent every day, and by the time the next election arrives, it's going to have to wheeled around on a stretcher. Or trading in its limos for supermarket carts. I'm quite looking forward to the moment when its tiny wheels fall off... ;)

Apparently China buys a shit load of coke from Suncor. Vile, nasty crap. I was actually shocked last fall when I visited a part of the plant I hadn't been to before to see mountains of this stuff not too far from the Athabasca river bank. Its becomes airborne quite easily and its definitely not something you want to get on you. There was a time when I figured well at least here in Canada we aren't fighting wars over the oil sands' wealth but lately I've come to realize that the companies doing the recovery overseas are the same ones doing it here. In Canada for now, perhaps, they just can't get away with the things they can elsewhere. But for how much longer?

hi Way Way Up...that's interesting to know. I'm afraid that with the Chinese government and the ultra-right wing Koch brothers so heavily invested in the oil sands, wages will soon be on their way down, unions will be under assault, and environmental standards won't count for anything. We really need to draw the line and tell those foreign interests where to get off...

For starters, isn't "chickadee" what Harper calls John Baird? And secondly, doesn't Gardner understand that praising Calgary so extravagantly, after trying to reconfigure the country to serve its Big Oil interests, might rub some Canadians the wrong way?

I have a feeling that commentary like this doesn't hurt the Conservatives one bit. I can't speak for Gardner, but I find this kind of phobia irrational.

hi Rod...I only included that chickadee line in an obviously unsuccessful attempt to be funny. But I'm quite serious about my second point, although I obviously should have made it clearer.I simply thought that Gardner missed an important point. Thanks largely to Mulcair's efforts, more Canadians now realize that the oil sands are not as good for Canada as they once thought. They do create prosperity in Alberta but the way they are being developed is killing jobs in the rest of the country. That is bound to create resentment, and since Harper's policies favour the oil patch so much, it's not unreasonable to believe that having Harper praise Calgary so extravagantly, might cause people in other parts of the country, to feel that he's rubbing it in. Regional resentment has been used by the Cons to build up their support in the West, now it may be their turn to feel its sting...And finally, no this commentary won't hurt the Conservatives, it's far to small and humble for that. But like rain, one drop is nothing, but put all the drops together, and you can wash away a mountain...

hi anonymous...thanks for your kind words. I'm just trying to call it as I see it. I see a group of right-wing thugs trying to steal my beautiful country, they are not going to get away with it. And not only will I oppose them, and denounce them, I fully intend to laugh at them as well. :)